Challenges Facing Architects in 2024 and Implications for Architectural Education

Column by Barbara Opar, column editor

It goes without saying that architecture will be facing new challenges in 2024 and beyond.

A blog posted by Building Material Reporter outlines some of them. See:

Challenges Facing Architects .

How can architectural education help prepare graduates?  Hopefully, awareness and scoping out relevant resources is a start. Let’s look at the issues outlined one by one.

Global Warming:  This is not new, but here are a few recent reads that are worth checking out.

• Ingram, Alexa. Climate Change Simplified: A Comprehensive Guide to Global Warming and Sustainable Living with 101 Essential Tips for a Greener Future and Reduced Carbon Footprint.   Alexandria, Minnesota: Authentic Eco Press, 2023.
• Williams, John R.  Earth Plight: Global Warming: The Harsh Reality.  Independently published, 2023.

Carbon Reduction:

• Kuittinen, Matti.  Carbon: A Field Manual for Building Designers. Hoboken: Wiley, 2022.

Cutting Edge Technology:

• Bakker, Ron. Smart Buildings: Technology and the Design of the Built Environment. London: RIBA Publishing, 2020.
• Rao, Bharat.  Technology Strategy Essentials: A Concise Guide and Primer: Unlock the Secrets to Developing Cutting-Edge Products, Services, and Business Models, and Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage. Independently published, 2023.

Eco-friendly Materials:   

• https://www.materialconnexion.com/ This subscription database is a major resource and addresses these types of materials. Many academic libraries subscribe.
• Garcia, Juan. 2023 LEED Green Associate Prep and Review: Practice Exams for Industry Professionals. Independently published, 2023.

Waste Recycling:

• O’Donnell, Caroline, Pranger, Dillon.  The Architecture of Waste: Design for a Circular Economy. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Routledge, 2020.

Floating Buildings:

• Martinez, Patricia. Floating Houses: Living over the Water. Barcelona: Monsa Publications, 2019.
• Olthuis, Koen, Keuning David. Float! Building on Water to Combat Urban Congestion and Climate Change. Amsterdam, Frame Publishers, 2010.

3D Printed Architecture:

• Rael, Ronald. Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing. ‎ Hudson, Princeton Architectural Press, 2018.

Metaverse:

• Nuriev, Harry. How to Land in the Metaverse: From Interior Design to the Future of Design . New York: Rizzoli, 2023.
• Peng, Foong Ng. Handbook of Research on Inclusive and Innovative Architecture and the Built Environment. Hershey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global, 2023.

Smart and Sustainable Materials:

• Jadhav, Nilesh. Green and Smart Buildings: Advanced Technology Options (Green Energy and Technology). New York: Springer, 2022.

• Wand, Julian. Advanced Materials in Smart Building Skins for Sustainability: From Nano to Macroscale. New York: Springer, 2022. 

“Smart” Glass:

• Smart Glass Country. Vendor resource

• Balakrishnan, Avinash. Nanostructured Electrochromic Materials for Smart Switchable Windows. Florida: CRC Press, 2018.